Sri Lanka courts go on strike against assault on judge

All High Courts and magistrates' courts throughout the island did not function as judges, lawyers and staff struck work to protest the attack on Manjula Thilakaratne, who is Secretary to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).

The protest action would continue tomorrow.

Thilakaratne, a judge himself was attacked by an unknown gang in a Colombo suburb yesterday.

He was admitted to the National Hospital for head and facial injuries after being struck by a pistol butt.

He was seated in his car reading newspapers when attacked by the group who got him to open his car doors at gunpoint.

The attack came a few weeks after he had issued a statement claiming that the government was interfering in the independence of judiciary.

He later claimed that he and his family had received death threats.

The protesting lawyers burnt a coffin opposite the JSC offices in the legal district of Hulftsdorp urging swift action to bring the attackers to book.

Similar protests were also held in the provinces.

Protesting lawyers held placards saying "protect lives of judges", "preserve independence of judiciary".

The government has condemned the attack and ordered an investigation on President Mahinda Rajapaksa's instructions.

Rajapaksa last week told reporters that alleged interference in the judiciary was not correct and as a lawyer himself he was for a truly independent judiciary.

Analysts however say there is growing friction between the judiciary, the executive and legislative arms of the state.